Jesse Pugh (1774 - 1854)

Born 24 Mar 1774 in Amherst, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia (Sims) Pugh — married 1794 in Laurens, Laurens, South Carolina, USA

Descendants

Died 13 Jun 1854 at age 80 in Troy, Pike, Alabama, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Sandra Vasko [send private message] and Glenda Patterson [send private message]

Biography

According to FindAGrave, Jesse Pugh was born in Amherst County, Virginia on 24 Mar 1774.^[1][2] He was the son of Willoughby Pugh and Sarah Bobo. Willoughby sold his land in Amherst County in 1781 and moved his family to South Carolina to the area that would become Laurens County in 1785.

Family: Spouse & Children

Jesse married Lydia Sims, daughter of Zachariah Sims and Elizabeth Graves. His brother Lewis married Lydia's sister, Rebecca Sims.^[3]

Jesse and Lydia had the following children:

1. Mastin Bell Pugh, b. abt. 1795, Laurens Co., SC; d. 29 Jan 1873; m. 1) abt. 1820, Rebecca 'Elizabeth' Wiggins; m. 2) Charlotte (nee unknown).
2. Malinda Pugh, b. abt. 1797, Laurens Co.; m. Micajah Stinton.
3. Burrell B. Pugh, b. 29 Nov 1800, Laurens Co.; d. 20 Sep 1855; m. 18 Dec 1823, Barbara Smith.^[4]
4. Elizabeth Pugh, b. 21 Jun 1802, Laurens Co.; d. 8 Jul 1851; m. Ira E. Pugh, son of Lewis Pugh and Rebecca Sims.
5. Mary Ann Pugh, b. abt. 1807, Laurens Co.; m. Kilby Wiggins.
6. Ira Pugh, b. abt. 1811, Laurens Co.; m. 30 Sep 1873, Frances Bryant.^[5]
7. Lewis Harrison Pugh, b. 3 May 1814, Laurens Co.; d. 27 May 1889; m. 7 Aug 1838, Karanhapuck Cartrelt.^[6] Lewis was murdered.
8. Adaline Pugh, b. 5 Jun 1816, Tennessee; d. 14 Jun 1921; m. 1) 26 Aug 1839, Stephen Blackburn;^[6] m. 2) 12 Feb 1859, William J. Bennett.^[4]
9. Albert Pugh.

Timeline

In the 1810 census Jesse was in Laurens, South Carolina, United States.^[7]

About 1815, Jesse and Lydia moved to Tennessee and later to Pike County, Alabama.

In the 1820 census Jesse was in Lincoln, Tennessee.^[8]

1830 United States Federal Census^[9]
Lincoln County, Tennessee
Jesse Pugh
Males <5: 2
Males 5-9: 1
Males 10-14: 2
Males 15-19: 1
Males 40-49: 1
Females 5-9: 1
Females 10-14: 1
Females 15-19: 1
Females 30-39: 1

From The Clarke County Post, 6 May 1836:

"The friends of Jesse Pugh will support him for the office of commissioner of roads and revenue for this county, at the ensuing August election."

In 1850, Jesse and Lydia were living in Pike County, Alabama living next to their son Maston, daughter Mary Wiggins, and daughter Adaline Blackburn (dwellings 468, 467, 465 & 465, respectively; dwelling 466 was granddaughter Lydia (Wiggins) Lambeth). Also living in close proximity was grandson Albert Downing Pugh.^[10]

Jesse Pugh and his sons, over the next few years, acquired in excess of 2,500 acres of land a few miles Northwest of Troy on both sides of County Road 1 (Shellhorn Road) and extending from Conecuh River to Oak Grove Church on County Road 36. In the early years the river could be forded and the area was called Pugh Ford. Later a bridge was built across the river that was called Pugh Bridge. The Pughs farmed and were well known in the county as cattle breeders. On Sundays, the family traveled to Beulah Primitive Baptist Church located in what later became the City of Troy. Jesse’s daughter, Elizabeth, married Ira E. Pugh. Ira E. Pugh was the son of Lewis Pugh and was Elizabeth’s double first cousin. Elizabeth died on July 8th, 1851 and is buried in Beulah Cemetery just inside the boundary formed by South Three Notch Street. Jesse died on June 13th 1854 and he is believed to be buried next to his daughter Elizabeth at Beulah Cemetery. However, there is no marker for him in that area. Below is the will of Jesse.

Probate/Will

Last Will and Testament^[11] of Jesse Pugh, deceased, filed in office June 19, 1854: Bird F. Fitzpatrick, Judge of Probate:

In the name of God: Amen,

I, Jesse Pugh, of the County of Pike in the State of Alabama, being of sound mind and disposing memory, and in good health, but having attained an age when I feel that it is wise to arrange my affairs in proper order, when I cannot continue to live a great while longer, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all other wills which I have at any time made.

First, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Lydia, the following Negres: Reuben, George, and Huldah; also 200 acres of land being the east one-half of the NW one-quarter, and the west one-half of the SE one-quarter, and the SE one-quarter of of the NE one-half of Section 14, Township 10, Range 20, in the County of Pike aforesaid. Also all household and kitchen furniture, plantation tools, two mules and one horse, five cows and calves, four sows and pigs, and ten head of stock cattle besides, five ewes, and lambs, 1200 pounds of pork, 400 bushels of corn, and 1,000 waight of fodder, to be the property of my wife during her life, subject to her absolute controle and upon her death to be sold and the proceeds divided equally among my heirs named in this will

Second, I give and bequeath to my son Maston B., a Negro girl, Charity, and a Negro boy Nelson.

Third, I give and bequeath to my daughter, Malinda Stinson, now a widow, Lucy, a Negro woman and her child, Silas, said Negroes to be the property of my daughter, Malinda, during her life and after her death to her children, and I hereby direct that in the case Malinda should marry again the said property is to be kept for her sole and separate use during her life and immediately become the property of her children upon her death.

Fourth, I give and bequeath to my son Burrell, Laura, a Negro woman, and her increase.

Fifth, I give and bequeath to the children of my deceased daughter, Elizabeth, to-wit: Jesse, John, Emalina, Rebekka, Lydia, Albert Dowing, and Betsy, a sum of money out of my estate equal in amount to the value of the property which my children take under this will; that is, they are to have in money a share of my estate equal to the share which their mother would have received as one of my heirs had she survived me.

Sixth, I give and bequeath to the children of my deceased daughter, Polly Ann Wiggins, to-wit: Lydia, James, Rhoda, Margaret, Martha, Jessie Harrison, and Masten, the same amount of money as I have directed to be paid to the children of my deceased daughter, Elizabeth. This is they shall be paid a sum of money equal in amount to the shares which the other children are to receive in property and which their mother, my daughter Polly Ann would have received had she survived me.

Seventh, I give and bequeath to my son Ira, the following Negroes; Betsy, a woman and Rosa, a girl, and their increase.

Eighth, I give and bequeath to my son Albert, a Negro woman, Latty, and a Negro boy, Issral with future increase (trails off bottom of page but appears to be all)

Ninth, I give and bequeath to my son, Louis, a Negro boy, Henry, and a Negro girl, Cynthia, with her future increase.

Tenth, I give and bequeath to my daughter, Adaline, wife of Stephen Blackburn, a Negro woman, Ester and a Negro boy, Fortune, to be the property of my daughter, Adaline, for her sole and separate use, free from the control of her husband an not in any way liable for his debts, to be her own property during her life and after her death to descend to her children.

Eleventh, I hereby will and direct that at my death my Negros named Bill and Dolly shall be sold and also that my land not herein named and bequeathed and also other property not mentioned in my will shall be sold and that the money be employed to make up the sum to be paid to the children of my deceased daughters, as I have above directed and if there should be an overplus after paying over to my grandchildren, then the said overplus shall be divided out among all of my children as to make the shares they receive of my estate as nearly equal as possible, my wish being that each of my heirs shall receive as nearly as be an equal portion of my property; that all of my children living at the time of my death are to take the property which I have hereby bequeathed to them and if they should die before I depart this life then their property which I have bequeathed to them to descend to their children as an amount of money equal to said property to be paid to them as I have directed in the case of the children of my deceased daughters.

Lastly, I hereby appoint Masten B. Pugh and Lewis Pugh, my sons, executors of this my Last Will and Testament, and hereby desire that no security on their bond as executors be required as I have full confidence in their integrity.

I testimony I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 24th day of March, 1852.

Jesse Pugh

This the Last Will and Testament of Jesse Pugh, was signed in our presence and we have signed this in his presence and in the presence of each other this 24th day of March, A. D. 1852.

Andrew P. Love

John Key

Cornelius Smart

Admitted to Probate July 17, 1854"

From the Independent American, 29 Oct 1856:

"THE STATE OF ALABAMA, Pike County.

Special court of probate, Oct. 9, 1856. This day came Mastin Pugh, one of the executors of the last will and testament of Jesse Pugh deceased, and filed his accounts and vouchers in court for the final settlement of said estate, which were examined and ordered to be filed for the inspection of all concerned. It is ordered that the second Monday inNovember next be the day for making said settlement, and that notice of the same be given in the Independet American for three consecutive weeks notifying all interested to appear on said day and sow cause if any they have why said settlement should not be heard, and said estate finally settled.

Biry Fitzpatrick, Judge of Probate.

Oct. 15, 1856."

Research Notes

Slaves

Mentioned in will dated 1854:

• Reuben
• George
• Huldah
• Charity, girl
• Nelson, boy
• Lucy, woman and her child Silas
• Laura, woman
• Betsey, woman
• Rose, girl
• Letty, woman
• Isaac, boy
• Henry, boy
• Cynthia, girl
• Easter, woman
• Fortune, boy
• Bill
• Dolly

Land/Property

Census Records

Enslaved persons: 1 (add any specifics)

1830 Lincoln County, Tennessee
Jesse Pugh
Males <5: 2
Males 5-9: 1
Males 10-14: 2
Males 15-19: 1
Males 40-49: 1
Females 5-9: 1
Females 10-14: 1
Females 15-19: 1
Females 30-39: 1

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #11296135
2. ↑ First-hand information as remembered by Sandra Vasko, Tuesday, November 25, 2014. Replace this citation if there is another source.
3. ↑ The Graves Family Newsletter: Official Publication of the Graves Family Association for All Families of Graves, Greaves, Grave, and other spelling variations everywhere. p. 71. [A copy of this page was shared on Ancestry.com so it is unclear which volume of the newsletter it is from.]
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Dodd, Jordan R., comp.. Early American Marriages: Alabama, 1800 to 1920.
5. ↑ Alabama, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1805-1967. Film no.: 001290251
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Ancestry.com. Alabama, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1805-1967 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Film no.: 001033193. Original data: Marriage Records. Alabama Marriages. County courthouses, Alabama.
7. ↑ 1810 Census: "1810 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1810; Census Place: Laurens, South Carolina; Roll: 61; Page: 187; Image: Scm252_61-0025; FHL Roll: 0181420
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7613 #579775 (accessed 28 May 2023)
   Jesse Pew in Laurens, South Carolina, USA.
8. ↑ 1820 Census: "1820 United States Federal Census"
   1820 U S Census; Census Place: Lincoln, Tennessee; Page: 305; NARA Roll: M33_123; Image: 160
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7734 #1009225 (accessed 30 May 2023)
   Jesse Pugh in Lincoln, Tennessee.
9. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1830 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Fifth Census of the United States, 1830. (NARA microfilm publication M19, 201 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. Year: 1830; Census Place: Lincoln, Tennessee; Series: M19; Roll: 177; Page: 250; Family History Library Film: 0024535.
10. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C. Year: 1850; Census Place: Pike, Alabama; Roll: 13; Page: 170b.
11. ↑ Probate: "Alabama, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999"
    Probate Records, 1829-1923; Author: Alabama. Probate Court (Pike County); Probate Place: Pike, Alabama
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8799 #1340003 (accessed 29 May 2023)
    Jepe Pugh probate on 24 Mar 1852 in Pike, Alabama, USA.